Conveyor for collapsible tube finishing machine



Sept. 4, 1956 H. G. ALLEN ETAL 2,

CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1 949 18 Sheets-Sheet l 45 iNVEIiTORS.

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CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 a INVENTOR.

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CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10. 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 m flu 4,1002% 9 19 4 p 4, 1956 H. e. ALLEN ETAL 2,761,540

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Sept. 4, 1956 H. G. ALLEN ETAL 2,761,540

CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10. 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 A] m Q INVENTOR.

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CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 fl 4 $41 INVENTOR.

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CONVEYOR FOR CQLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10. 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet ll m- 4, 1956 H. G. ALLEN Em 2,761,540

CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1 949 18 Sheets-Sheet l3 Sept. 4, 1956 H. e. ALLEN ET AL 2,761,540

CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet l4 p 4, 1956 H. G. ALLEN ETAL 2,761,540

CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet l5 IN V EN TOR.

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Sept. 4, 1956 H. e. ALLEN ETAL 2,751,540

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Se t. 4, 1956 H. e. ALLEN ETAL 2,751,540

VEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 A a-urn! {1m 1 am 5%?? 2 26 z I Gor7zey5n Sept. 4, 1956 H. e. ALLEN EIAL 2,761,540

CONVEYOR FOR CQLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 18 Filed June 10, 1949 BY 1 M c dw Q Ala kmm CONVEYOR FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FINISHING MACHINE Howard G. Allen, Niagara Falls, and Charles D. Thomas, Hamburg, N. Y., assignors to Daystrom Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 10, 1949, Serial No. 98,216

9 Claims. (Cl. 198-19) This invention relates to a machine for forming tubes and more particularly to a machine for forming the shoulder and neck of a collapsible tube integral with a cylindrical or tubular body.

in the prior patent to Boris Bog-oslowsky #2,396,635, granted March 19, 1946, there is disclosed and claimed a collapsible tube comprising a flexible, cylindrical tubular portion and an integral shoulder and neck in which the shoulder extends inwardly from the tubular portion and consists of a multiplicity of small folds and in which the neck consists of ccntinuations of the folds of the shoulder which have been shortened in length to provide a compressed thickened tubular wall of substantial strength and rigidity.

The present invention is directed to apparatus for producing tubes of the type disclosed in the said Bogoslowsky patent. in forming such tubes, one end 'of the body is first submitted to a preliminary crimping operation, it is then rolled to form the neck and carry forward the formation of the shoulder, and it is then submitted to a final pressing operation in a die to complete the formation of the shoulder and neck and form threads on the neck for the reception of the cap.

The present invention relates to a machine for performing these various functions and other functions. It comprises a turret or turntable having a plurality of posts or mandrels to receive the tubes with means for imparting a step by step movement to the turntable with a dwell each station long enough to perform the intended operation. It further comprises means for feeding the tubular bodies to the turntable and means for removing the finished tube.

The invention also comprises certain sub-combinations of indexing means, locking and positioning means and sub-combinations of drive means by which the various functions are performed. The machine includes a tube body receiving mechanism or magazine which is rotatably mounted so as to be operated step by step by suitable indexing mechanism so that cylindrical tube bodies can be dropped into a station of this magazine, one after another, in timed relation to the step movements of the magazine.

Some preliminary operations are performed on the bodies in this magazine and at a prescribed station the bodies are delivered from the magazine to the turntable which is also turned step by step by suitable indexing mechanism to carry the tube bodies through successive stations whereby the tube bodies are ultimately finished. 'i'hey then arrive at a discharge station where they are ejected from the machine.

in the accompanying drawings we have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a machine for making coliapsible tubes from tube body blanks, including a portion of a conveyor for delivering tube bodies to the machine;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine as seen from the atent O ice rear of Fig. 1 wherein means for supplying power to the machine for driving it is disclosed;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, illustrating further driving connections for the principal drive shafts in the machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the lower portion of the machine as seen in Fig. 1, showing the indexing mechanism for effecting step by step movements of the main table;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 of Fig. 4 showing driving gearing between the main table rotating shaft, an intermediate shaft and the shaft for rotating the tube body feeding magazine;

Fig. 6 is-a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4, illustrating further the table indexing mechanism and part of the table lift mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 77 of Fig. 6, showing the table raising mechanism and the lift cam therefor;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing toggle links forming part of the slide or cross-head of the table lift mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on line 9-9 of Fig. 1, showing the main table and the tube body feeding magazine;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9, parts being broken away for clarity;

Fig. 11 is a vertical, detail section through one of the table mandrels [of which there are eight];

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken on line 1212 of Fig. 10, showing a portion of the load station of the magazine;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on line 13-13 of Fig. 10 showing one of the fingers for holding a tube body in the magazine;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section through a tube holder of the magazine with the finger in released position, anl the releasing means therefor mounted on the flaring tool;

Fig. 15 is a similar section, showing the tube holding finger in tube holding position;

Fig. 16 is a vertical section on line 16-16 of Fig. 9, illustrating part of the tube feeding magazine in position for flaring a tube, and the means for effecting accurate positioning of the magazine;

Fig. 17 is an edge view of a flaring tool cam, and of the indexing cam and associated mechanism;

Figs. 18 and 19 are face views of the flaring tool cam and the index cam, respectively;

Fig. 20 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the magazine showing the tube loading ram rod and its related mechanism, in partial downward motion;

Fig. 21 is a vertical section of a portion of the magazine showing a ram or device for ejecting damaged tubes from the magazine;

. Fig. 22 is a vertical section of the pick-0d mechanism including a cam for actuating the means for removing a tube from a mandrel and passing it to a discharge chute;

Fig. 23 is a vertical section through the crimping station of the main table;

Fig. 24 is a view of a tube which has been worked upon by the crimping mechanism;

Fig. 25 is a horizontal section through the crimped portion of a tube taken on line 2S25 of Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is a vertical section taken at the tube neck rolling station, on line 2626 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 27 is a horizontal section on line 27-27 of Fig. 26, showing the rolls spinning the crimped end of a tube into reduced tubular form;

Fig. 28 is a view of a tube after it has been operated on at the rolling station;

Fig. 29 is a vertical section along line 2929 of Fig. 26, showing the mechanism for rotating the rolls of the tube neck spinning device, partly in section;

Fig. 30 is a horizontal section taken on line 3030 of Fig. 29, showing the means for mounting the rollers of the neck rolling mechanism;

Fig. 31 is a vertical section on line 3131 of Fig. 30;

Fig. 32 is a vertical section on line 32-32 of Fig. 30, showing an arm having a cam roller for engagement with the operating cone of the neck rolling mechanism;

Fig. 33 is a horizontal section on line 3333 of Fig. 32, showing a resilient mounting of one of the rollers of the neck rolling mechanism;

Fig. 34 is a vertical section of the tube necking and threading die mechanism taken at the die station (Fig. 9), illustrating the cam and linkage for operating the toggle of the necking pin;

Fig. 35 is a vertical section on line 35-35 of Fig. 34, of the toggle levers; r

Fig. 36 is a horizontal section on line 36-36 of Fig. 34, showing the means for setting the necking pin in desired position;

Fig. 37 is a bottom plan view of the threading die set 7 taken on line 3737 of Fig. 34, the dies being in closed position;

Fig. 38 is a vertical section through the set of threading dies, showing a tube in the dies, the necking pin entering the neck of a tube, and the threading dies in closed po- 1 sition;

Fig. 39 is a view similar to Fig. 38, showing the necking pin pressing the metal of a tube neck into the thread forming portions of the threading die;

Fig. 40 is a vertical section of a burring head for removing burrs from a tube neck and showing an air jet tube and chip remover or collector associated therewith;

Fig. 41 is a vertical section on line 4141 of Fig. 40, showing the burring he-ad removing burrs from a tube neck;

Fig. 42 is a horizontal section viewed upwardly along line 4242 of Fig. 40, showing the mounting means for the burring knife;

Fig. 43 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a finished tube;

Fig. 44 is a layout of the cam shown in Figs. 2 and 34, which controls the operation of the thread forming dies;

Fig. 45 is a section on line 45-45 of Fig. 9, of the tube pick-off mechanism aligned with a tube on a mandrel of the main table ready to lift a tube therefrom;

Fig. 46 is an enlarged vertical'section on line 4646 of Fig. 45, showing the inflatable means of the tube pickofi mechanism inflated to grip a tube;

Fig. 47 is a vertical section on line 47--47 of Fig. 9, of the tube pick-off mechanism in its upper position and associated means for releasing a finished tube for delivery into a discharge tube; and

Fig. 48 is an enlarged section, similar to Fig. 46, showing the tube pick-off inflatable means deflated to release a tube. 1

While the items to be operated on in this machine may, strictly speaking, be termed tube bodies, they will henceforth be referred to as tubes A for brevity.

General description of machine As shown particularly in Figs. 1, 9 and 10, the machine includes a magazine M consisting of a horizontal cylindrical plate 50. Plate 50 supports a plurality of tube body supporting cylinders 52. There are six cylinders equally spaced around a drive shaft 54, see Fig. 9. The magazine M is intermittently rotated, by means to be described, so as to move step by step in increments of 60". In delivering tubes A to one of the cylinders 52 of the magazine, they are dropped by gravity one after another into a hopper 56, the lower end of which is aligned with one of the cylinders 52 in each position of the magazine, as seen in Fig. 10.

Any suitable means may be used for delivering the tubes A. We have shown a conveyor trough 58 which may have therein an endless chain conveyor, not shown, provided with spaced flights for carrying the tubes to that end of the trough which is illustrated in Fig. 1. Suitable means, such as a timed air blast mechanism, may be employed to eject the tubes one after another from the trough 58 to an inclined chute 60, see Fig. 1, down which the tubes fall by gravity into the hopper 56. The lower open end of the hopper may be closed by a movable plate or shutter 62, pivoted between its ends at 64, see Fig. 10.

The end of shutter 62 remote from hopper 56 is pivotally connected to one of an end of a link 66, Fig. l, the opposite end of which is connected to a bell crank lever 68 pivoted on the frame of the machine at 70. This lever 63 may be actuated by a cam 72 mounted on the upper end of the conveyor trough 58 so as to intermittently move the shutter 62 to one side of the hopper 56 at proper timed intervals to enable a tube in hopper 56 to fall into a cylinder 52 which has arrived therebeneath in accordance with the cyclic operation of the magazine M. A shelf 51 arranged beneath the magazine at the delivery point supports the tubular body until it is engaged by suitable holding fingers.

After a tube A has been so received in a cylinder 52, an index movement of the magazine carries the plate 59 by a clockwise movement to position the cylinder 52 at the next station (see X, Fig. 9), where at present, no operation is performed on the tube A.

A second index movement of the magazine M carries the tube body to the next station (see XI, Fig. 9). A sectional view taken radially through this station is illustrated in Fig. 16, where a flaring operation is performed on the lower end of the tube A for facilitating the movements of the tubes through subsequent operations.

The flaring mechanism comprises a vertically reciprocable flaring tool 74, the upper end of which is of conical formation, as shown. The tool 74 is pivoted to a connecting rod 76. The lower end of this rod is pivoted at 78 to a lug on an actuating lever 80. One end of lever 80 is pivoted on a horizontal rock shaft 82. The other end of lever 80 has a cam follower 83, which is engageable in a cam track of cam 84. Cam 84 is mounted for rotation on horizontal shaft 104.

The mechanism described is properly timed to shift the tool 74 up and down. In Fig. 16, the tool is shown in its upper position and in proceeding to that position, it engages the open bottom end of a tube A and raises it until the upper end of the tube engages a flare stop or rod adjustably mounted to depend from a bracket secured to the machine frame. Flare stop 90 is positioned with respect to the length of a tube A such that when engaged by a tube, the lower end of the latter will project slightly out of the lower end of its supporting cylinder 52, so as to enable the tool 74 to enter into and flare the lower end of the tube, as seen in Fig. 16.

In Fig. 16, we have illustrated the position of a support 88 on which the tube rests after release of the holding fingers hereinafter described.

After recession of the tool 74 to its lower position, another index movement of plate 5!) occurs, which carries the flared tube A to the next station which may be termed a loading station, since it ishere that the tube bodies are caused to be moved from the magazine on to one of the mandrels of the main table T. This table T, as shown in Fig. 9, has eight mandrels P at equally spaced stations which are therefor disposed 45 apart with respect to the axis of table T. Table T is rotatably mounted with respect to a vertical shaft 278. Suitable index mechanism, to be described later, operates to shift the table T intermittently a distance of 45 with respect to shaft 278. Each of the eight stations on the table T is substantially alike and includes an upstanding post or mandrel P, the diameter of which enables tubes A to be 

